Mounting device for light pipe

ABSTRACT

A mounting device, for retaining a member having a surface to be illuminated in a fixed relation to a source of illumination, comprising a body portion having a slot therein and a channel therethrough, the channel intersecting and having its axis generally transverse to the slot, and being adapted to receive the member; a clamping member mounted with the slot for movement between a first position in which it at least partially blocks the channel and a second position in which it does not block the channel; and biasing means which resiliently urge the clamping member toward the first position.

United Sta Rishton [54] MOUNTING DEVICE FOR LIGHT PIPE [72] Inventor: Michael L. Rishton, Reading, Mass.

[73] Assignee: Dyonics, Inc., Woburn, Mass.

[22] Filed: July 1, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 51,551

[52] US. Cl. ..240/l, 24/211 M, 240/1 EL, 287/205 SL, 339/255, 350/96 R [51] Int. Cl ..F2l

[58] Field of Search ..240/1, 1 E1, 8.16; 116/114; 24/211 M; 339/255 P, 255, 255 R, 254; 340/380; 287/205 SL; 350/96, 96 B [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 868,082 10/1907 Freschl ..24/211 M 1,839,867 l/l932 Crimmins ..339/255 P 2,211,586 8/1940 Schwarz ..24/2ll M 2,227,422 1/1941 Boerstler ..240/1 E1 UX 2,366,870 1/1945 Palmer et a1 ..116/114 2,688,173 9/1954 Peet ..24/211 M Yam Em i Aug. 8, 1972 Genahr ..350/96 B Primary Examiner-Louis .l. Capozi Attorney-John Noel Williams 571 ABSTRACT A mounting device, for retaining a member having a surface to be illuminated in a fixed relation to a source of illumination, comprising a body portion having a slot therein and a channel therethrough, the channel intersecting and having its axis generally transverse to the slot, and being adapted to receive the member; a clamping member mounted with the slot for movement between a first position in which it at least partially blocks the channel and a second position in which it does not block the channel; and biasing means which resiliently urge the clamping member toward the first position.

3 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures 1 MOUNTING DEVICE FOR LIGHT PIPE This invention relates to a mounting the supplying of light to light pipes.

It is an object of the invention to provide such a device which is economical and rugged in construction and simple and reliable in operation.

According to one aspect of the invention there is provided a mounting device for mounting the end of one or more light pipes in a fixed relationship to a source of illumination. The mounting device comprises a body portion having channels through which a light pipe end piece may be inserted. A slot is provided in the body member generally transverse to the axis of the channel. A clamping member is mounted within the slot for movement between first and second positions and is so biased that in its first position it masks at least a portion of the channel. In preferred embodiments the body portion of the device has two such channels and device and to there are two such clamping members mounted within the slot. Each clamping member is spring loaded so as to completely mask one of the holes in the body member in the first position. Each clamping member includes a leg portion which extends beyond the body portion and each is pivotally mounted within the slot so that it may be manually rotated about the pivot against the influence of the biasing spring, thereby unmasking the respective channel while permitting the simple insertion of a light pipe end piece.

The invention also features a mounting device of the type described in combination with a conventional source of illumination (e.g., a projection lamp) wherein the mounting device is itself so mounted with respect to the source of illumination that the end surfaces of the light transmitting fibers of the light pipe are near the focal plane of the source of illumination.

According to another aspect of the invention there is provided a mounting device for a plurality of members having surfaces to be illuminated. The device retains the members such that those surfaces are held in a fixed relation to a source of illumination. The device comprises a body portion having a like plurality of channels therethrough which are inclined with respect to each other. The inclination of the channels permits the insertion of the members therethrough such that the surfaces to be illuminated may be closely bunched and spaced apart less than the portions of the members on the opposite side of the device.

' Other objects, features, and advantages will appear from the following description of a preferred embodiment of the invention, taken together with the attached drawings, thereof, in which:

FIG. 1 is a perspective view of a mounting device constructed according to the invention having two light pipe end pieces retained therein;

FIG. 2 is an end elevation, partially in section, of the device of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a side elevation of a light pipe end piece especially constructed for use with the mounting device of F IG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a side elevation of a light source according to the invention comprising a source of illumination in combination with the mounting device of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 5 is a view taken at 5-5 of FIG. 4.

Referring to FIG. 1, there is shown a light pipe mounting device (indicated generally by and two light pipes 12, 14 having their end pieces 16 and I8 retained by the device 10. The device 10 has a body portion 20 having a slot 22 extending from the top thereof to approximately its midpoint. As shown in FIG. 1, a shallow well 23 is situated in the front face of body portion 20, of insufficient depth to bottom into slot 22. Two channels are provided which extend frontto-back through the body portion 20 and which have their axes generally transverse to the slot 22. These channels'are best seen in FIGS 2 and 5, where they are numbered 24 and 26 respectively. Clamping members 28 and 30a are disposed within the slot 22 and have leg portions 30 and 32 which extend from the respective sides of the slot. Thermally insulating caps 34 and 26 are provided on leg portions 30a and 32 to protect the user when the device becomes heated through use in proximity to a high intensity source of illumination.

As best seen in FIG. 3, each of the light pipe end pieces has cylindrical portions 38 and 40 with a tapered, frustoconical portion 42 therebetween. The outside diameter of the cylindrical portion 40 is chosen to be slightly smaller than the diameter of the channel (24, 26) into which the end piece (16, 18) is to be inserted. With this choice of size, it is apparent when the end piece 16 is inserted into channel 24 the portion 42 provides an effective stop when it is pushed up against the face of the mounting device 10. Therefore, the end surface 44 of the light pipe end piece (16, 18) may be accurately located with respect to the mounting device 10 and any position desired by merely choosing an appropriate length for the cylindrical portion 40. Since the surface 46 comprising the polished ends of the light fiber bundle are flush with the end 44 of end piece 16, the surface 46 may also be accurately located with respect to the mounting device 10.

In the embodiment illustrated in FIG. 3, the light pipe end piece 16 has a slight detent 48 on the cylindrical portion 40 at a location-which will be aligned with the clamping member (28,30) when the end piece has been fully inserted into the appropriate channel (24, 26) of the mounting device 10.

As best seen in FIG. 2, the clamping members 28 and 30 are pivoted at 50 and 52, respectively. Biasing springs 54 and 56 protrude through the floor of slot 22 and bear upon the clamping members so as to bias the members toward a first position in which the channel associated with that clamping member is entirely masked. This position is shown by clamping member 28 in FIG. 2. The second position of the clamping members is illustrated by clamping member 30 in the same figure. There the leg portion 32 has been depressed against the influence of spring 56 so that the clamping member 30 is rotated away from channel 26 to allow the insertion of the light pipe end piece 18. After insertion the pressure on the leg portion 32 may be removed and the clamping member 30 will bear against the cylindrical portion 40 of the end piece due to the influence of spring 56. The end piece is thus firmly retained within the mounting device 10.

As mentioned above, the provision of a detent 48 aligned with the clamping member 30 provides an even firmer retention of end piece in the mounting device 10. The sloping edges of detent 48, however, permit the easy removal of the light pipe end piece from the mounting device 10 while protecting against accidental removal (as, for example, by an accidental jerk on the light pipe 14). It should be noted that even in the case of an accidental removal of the light pipe end piece from the mounting device 10, the clamping member will be immediately rotated to the first position in which the associated channel (24, 26) will be masked thereby preventing stray light beams. This latter feature may be very desirable in certain circumstances (e.g., where the light pipe is being used in a surgical procedure).

FIGS. 4 and 5 illustrate the use of the mounting device in combination with a conventional source of illumination 58. The source 58 is mounted within a light-tight box 61 in a fixed relation to the mounting device 10. The mounting device 10 is itself so mounted that, as best seen in FIG. 4, the axes of the light pipe end pieces (16, 18) are at the same height as the axis of the source of illumination 58.

It has been found that a focussed bulb provides the best source of illumination. An adequate commercially available focussed bulb is the Sylvania DNF 150 watt bulb. This bulb focuses to an 8 mm (i.e., 0.32 inch) circle at a focal plane located 2,810 inches from the rear surface 60 of the bulb. Due to limitations such as are well known in the art, a convenient light pipe end piece has an outside diameter at the cylindrical portion 40 of 0.220 inches. It is apparent that it is possible to place only a single light pipe end piece such that the surface to be illuminated (the surface 46 defined by the polished ends of the light pipe fibers) at the focal plane. It has been determined, however, that a high level of illumination of the surfaces 46 can be maintained by locating them slightly away from the focal plane. The surfaces 46 are therefore located closer to the source of illumination 58 than the focal plane, since locating them further than the focal plane would produce a haloing effect (i.e., non-uniform intensity). Since the intensity of illumination per unit surface area decreases rapidly when one moves more than slightly away from the focal plane, the channels which retain the light pipe end pieces have been set at an angle (see FIG. 5) in order that the entire surfaces 46 may be contained within the light cone 62 without being far removed from the focal plane 64. For the dimensions recited above the angle between the axes of the end pieces (16, 18) is about 10.

While a particular embodiment has been described in detail, other embodiments will occur to those skilled in the art and are within the following claims:

What is claimed is:

1'. A light source with an affixed mounting device, for retaining a light conductive member having a surface to be illuminated in a fixed relation to said source, said device comprising a body portion having a slot therein and a member receiving channel therethrough, said channel intersecting and having its axis generally transverse to said slot, and being adapted to receive said light conductive member; a clamping member mounted for rotation within said slot for movement between a first position in which it blocks transmission of light from said source through said channel and a second position in which it clamps said light conductive member; and biasing means which resiliently urges said clamping member toward said first position, whereby w en, li t c nductive member occu es said h n- 118 18813 amriing member clamps s id occupying member in said fixed relation to said light source,and when said channel is unoccupied,said clamping member automatically blocks transmission of light through said device.

2. A mounting device, for retaining a plurality of light pipe end portions in close side by side position in a predetermined relation to a source of illumination, said end portions being of lessor diameter than said pipes, said device comprising a light source providing converging rays and, affixed thereto in spaced relation, a body portion having a like plurality of channels therethrough, the axes of said channels being inclined with respect to each other, whereby said end portions may extend through said channels such that ends are on the side of said device proximate to said source and are spaced apart less than the corresponding pipes on the opposite side of said device.

3. The device of claim 2, said body portion having a slot therein, said channels intersecting said slot, and including for each said channel a clamping member mounted for independent rotation within said slot for movement between a first position in which it blocks passage of light through said channel and a second position in which it clamps a light pipe, and a spring urging the clamping member to said first position, whereby said clamping member automatically blocks light passage through said channel when said channel is unoccupied by a light pipe. 

1. A light source with an affixed mounting device, for retaining a light conductive member having a surface to be illuminated in a fixed relation to said source, said device comprising a body portion having a slot therein and a member receiving channel therethrough, said channel intersecting and having its axis generally transverse to said slot, and being adapted to receive said light conductive member; a clamping member mounted for rotation within said slot for movement between a first position in which it blocks transmission of light from said source through said channel and a second position in which it clamps said light conductive member; and biasing means which resiliently urges said clamping member toward said first position, whereby when a light conductive member occupies said channel,said clamping member clamps said occupying member in said fixed relation to said light source,and when said channel is unoccupied,said clamping member automatically blocks transmission of light through said device.
 2. A mounting device, for retaining a plurality of light pipe end portions in close side by side position in a predetermined relation to a source of illumination, said end poRtions being of lessor diameter than said pipes, said device comprising a light source providing converging rays and, affixed thereto in spaced relation, a body portion having a like plurality of channels therethrough, the axes of said channels being inclined with respect to each other, whereby said end portions may extend through said channels such that ends are on the side of said device proximate to said source and are spaced apart less than the corresponding pipes on the opposite side of said device.
 3. The device of claim 2, said body portion having a slot therein, said channels intersecting said slot, and including for each said channel a clamping member mounted for independent rotation within said slot for movement between a first position in which it blocks passage of light through said channel and a second position in which it clamps a light pipe, and a spring urging the clamping member to said first position, whereby said clamping member automatically blocks light passage through said channel when said channel is unoccupied by a light pipe. 